1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for the bromination of nitro-alcohols on the carbon atom which bears the nitro-group. Nitro-alcohols and bromo-nitro-alcohols are known substances. 2-Bromo-2-nitro- 1,3propanediol, for instance, is important as a preservative and a microbicidally active ingredient.
2. Statement of the Related Art
The starting materials generally used for the preparation of bromo-nitro-alcohols, in which the bromo- and nitro-groups are both on the same carbon atom, are nitro-alcohols, which are reacted with elementary bromine.
Thus in Japanese Patent Application 74/70911, cited in Chem. Abstracts, Vol. 81, 119937y (1974), it is proposed to prepare nitro-1,3-propanediol by the reaction of nitromethane and formaldehyde in the presence of aqueous NaOH and to convert this with bromine in dichloroethane to the corresponding bromo compound.